Banaras Hindu University (abbreviated as BHU), formerly Central Hindu College, is a collegiate central university located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was established in 1916 jointly by the Maharaja of Darbhanga Rameshwar Singh,[8] Maharaja of Banaras Prabhu Narayan Singh,[8] Madan Mohan Malaviya, Sunder Lal[9] and British Theosophist and Home Rule League founder Annie Besant.[10] With over 30,000 students residing on campus, it is the largest residential university in Asia.[11]
The university's main campus spread over 1,300 acres (5.3 km2) was built on land donated by the Kashi Naresh Prabhu Narayan Singh, the hereditary ruler of Banaras ("Kashi" being an alternative name for Banaras or Varanasi). The south campus, spread over 2,700 acres (11 km2) and land donated later by Maharaj Kumar Aditya Narayan Singh in Sunderpur [12] hosts the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Agriculture Science Centre)[13] and is located in Barkachha in Mirzapur district, about 60 km (37 mi) from Banaras.[14]
BHU is organized into six institutes and 14 faculties (streams) and about 140 departments.[15][16] As of 2017, the total student enrolment at the university is 27,359[17] coming from 48 countries.[18] It has over 75 hostels for resident students. Several of its faculties and institutes include arts (FA - BHU), commerce (FC - BHU), management studies (I.M.St. - BHU), science (I.Sc. - BHU), performing arts (FPA-BHU), law (FL-BHU), agricultural science (I.A.S. - BHU), medical science (IMS, BHU) and environment and sustainable development (I.E.S.D. - BHU) along with departments of linguistics, journalism & mass communication, among others. The university's engineering institute was designated as an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT BHU) in June 2012.
BHU celebrated its centenary year in 2015–2016.[19]